


Monster

by TylertheBoosh



Series: Under the bed [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, i tried to make it cute, kid!hongjoong, monster under the bed, monster!mingi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 14:05:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17788790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TylertheBoosh/pseuds/TylertheBoosh
Summary: Mingi is the monster under Hongjoong's bed





	Monster

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for my Ateez Valentine on tumblr :')

Mingi hears the faint footsteps grow louder before slinking back under the bed. In the darkness, he sees the light at the bottom of the door shift and change as someone walks past and he breathes a sigh, stretching his arms and legs out again. 

Another set of feet stamp up the stairs and Hongjoong opens the door to his bedroom. Mingi folds his limbs back under and listens to the boy. 

“If there is a light on somewhere, you can’t come out. If I’m under the covers, you can’t touch me. I’m safe,” Hongjoong says. Mingi smiles, like he does every night. 

Mingi has been with Hongjoong since he was a child, since he could comprehend that monsters could exist and might just be under your bed right now. Hongjoong is older now but he still believes in creatures that go bump in the night (though that’s usually because Mingi hits his head… a lot). 

Whatever Hongjoong said Mingi had to abide by, and they both knew the rules. Mingi couldn’t explain why it worked, maybe it was to keep the kids who really believed safe. Often he thinks of what would happen if he just appeared before Hongjoong, and laughs at the thought of Hongjoong jumping out his skin.

The bedside light is switched on and the hallway light switched off. A soft glow fills the room, and Mingi hears the thump as Hongjoong leaps from the doorway to the bed to stop any monsters grabbing his ankles. 

“I’m under the covers, you can’t touch me. Even when the light is off, I’m safe,” Hongjoong whispers, reaching to turn the light off and plunging them into darkness. 

In the morning, Mingi jumps as Hongjoong’s phone drops beside him with a thunk, having fallen between the wall and the bed. He blinks at it for a moment and hears a loud sigh. 

“I’ve dropped my phone under the bed, remember that in daylight I can’t see you,” Hongjoong says it like it’s a chore. Mingi listens, knowing that he can’t see him in daylight anyway. A hand reaches down between the gap, fingers grasping blindly for the phone. Mingi watches for a moment, seeing that Hongjoong is nowhere near. Hesitating for only a moment, Mingi picks up the phone and hands it to him. The hand freezes, then is drawn back up. 

“Thank you, monster,” his voice shakes. 

Mingi rolls his eyes, wishing he could tell him his name is definitely not “monster” thank you very much. He knows Hongjoong will stay in bed for a while now, too scared to leave straight away. Only when his mother comes in does Hongjoong jump up and leave, shutting the door behind him. 

Having been in that house for so many years Mingi knew the family well. Hongjoong had a brother who had moved out some years ago, so it’s just Hongjoong and his parents who Mingi doesn’t see much of. Occasionally, he hears them fighting downstairs. It seems to be happening more and more often, Mingi thinks, but it isn’t like he can do anything about it. 

In Hongjoong’s room, Mingi tries to occupy his time with finding a solution to his problem. The problem that his job can’t be done until Hongjoong stops believing he’s there. The bigger problem is that he’s quite fond of Kim Hongjoong. Throughout the last few years, Mingi has tried to help Hongjoong however he could while obeying the rules that the boy set out, but there is only so much Mingi can do. Pick up his phone, turn his laptop off if he falls asleep, on cold nights he even pulls the covers tighter around him. He thinks if Hongjoong can accept that he is there but isn’t there to hurt him, maybe they’ll consider his job done anyway? Maybe? It’s worth a shot. Something has to change. 

Mingi doesn’t have to wait anymore because that night is different. 

In the afternoon when Hongjoong gets home from school, he doesn’t tell Mingi the rules as he slams the door behind him. It’s still daylight – so Mingi can’t be seen unless Hongjoong allows it – but he frowns because there is definitely something wrong if Hongjoong isn’t saying anything. After a moment, Mingi hears soft, muffled crying coming from above. He’s almost tempted to leave his sanctuary under the bed to see what the problem was. Almost. 

Then again, Hongjoong wouldn’t be able to see him. Sure he could hear him, or touch him even, but he won’t be allowed see Mingi until the sun went down, or until he told him he could. Mingi tussles with himself, what would be the harm in just… going out to see what had happened? He’ll be careful. 

Carefully, he stretches an arm out and begins to crawl from beneath the bed. He can see the pile of blankets that Hongjoong has hidden himself under and his frown softens. Mingi stands and stretches beside the bed, cautious to not make a sound. Now he’s stuck. Hongjoong is still crying gently but Mingi doesn’t know what to do next. Thankfully, Hongjoong makes the decision for him.

“Monster,” he says, and Mingi’s ears prick up. “Monster, I think I need someone right now. I… Are you there? Can you… I don’t know, do something please?” 

Mingi blinks in surprise. Hongjoong had never openly questioned him before. It really did sound like he expected an answer. He clenches and unclenches his fist and he wonders whether he could. He hovers a hand above the covers where he thinks Hongjoong’s back is. 

In a low growl, Mingi says, “I’m here.” 

When Hongjoong gasps in response, the crying forgotten, Mingi lowers his hand to rest on the covers over him. Mingi can feel Hongjoong shaking. He hopes it’s from whatever made him so upset. 

“You’re really here?” Hongjoong sniffs and shuffles. 

“I’m really here.” Mingi hears the hoarseness of his own voice and coughs to try to get it back to normal. 

Hongjoong makes a noise, “Did you really just cough? Do monsters cough?”. Mingi hears the smile in his voice. 

“Hey, who’s the monster here? I can do what I want,” Mingi grins. 

“Except when I tell you what you can’t do. Right?” Hongjoong says, quieter. 

Mingi pets the covers, “Right.” 

“That’s why you can talk to me now.” 

“Well… yes.” 

Hongjoong sniffs again in the silence. Mingi debates sitting down on the bed, but fears that would be too close for comfort. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Mingi says. 

“Mom and Dad were fighting again. It doesn’t normally affect me, you know? This time was just… difficult. They’re both out now, trying to sort it out somewhere else I don’t have to hear.” 

Mingi doesn’t respond. 

“Monster, what do you look like?” Hongjoong says, but doesn’t lift the covers. 

“My name’s Mingi, and… I could show you what I look like? If you want to see. I have a few forms but I’ll be human if you choose to see me.” 

“Mingi? So monsters can cough and have pretty normal names?” 

Mingi laughs, “If you’re not careful I’ll be in a monster form when you come out of there, then you’ll be scared!” 

“Yeah right, Mingi, I’m so afraid,” Hongjoong jokes, and Mingi’s chest feels as light as a feather. “Can I see you now?” 

Mingi pauses. He lifts his hand from the covers and stands up. “You have to tell me you can see me, then you’ll be able to. That’s how it works.” 

“Okay.” Hongjoong is suddenly apprehensive, but slowly pushes the covers off and sits up. Mingi’s heart clenches at the bloodshot eyes and reddened nose. Hongjoong looks right through him. 

“You really do have to say it out loud.”

“Really? Okay then. Monster, uh, Mingi, I can see you now.” 

Hongjoong gasps as his eyes adjust. 

“What you’re seeing right now is my human form,” Mingi feels himself trembling, “I have others but they’re a bit more... weird.” 

Hongjoong doesn’t reply. He scrambles to stand from the bed and looks up into Mingi’s eyes, their faces only separated by height.

“Did you know,” Hongjoong starts slowly, and Mingi isn’t sure where he’s going with it so raises an eyebrow, “Did you know you have really weird hair?” 

Mingi’s laugh is loud and booming, once he starts he can’t stop and Hongjoong joins him quickly, sitting back on the bed to keep from falling over himself. 

“You,” Mingi gasps, “are unbelievable!” 

Hongjoong laughs harder, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes as he clutches at his bedsheets. 

Mingi is the first to stop laughing, and it isn’t long before the room is filled with silence again. Mingi watches Hongjoong, a soft smile playing on the corner of his mouth. They lock eyes for a moment. 

“That’s what you get for having blue and purple hair,” Hongjoong says. “You look my age. Maybe even younger. How old are you?”

“Sixteen, the same as you. Though we don’t age the way you do. I was born when you were, but we don’t need parents to raise us. I was born knowing what to do and how to do it. Then I kind of grew up alongside you?” Mingi tries to explain. “I learned about you when we were young so I could scare you more efficiently. Then when you were older you were supposed to not believe in me anymore. Typical of you to be the only kid to keep believing in monsters.”

Hongjoong smiles at him. “That’s why you’re still here?” 

Mingi nods, “The one and only reason. Once you don’t believe in me anymore I’m gone.” 

“Oh.” Hongjoong’s eyebrows pull together, “I can hardly not believe in you now.” 

“I don’t know what happens next, honestly.” 

There’s a long silence, Mingi studies the pattern in the carpet. 

“Could you always talk to me? Like before, have you always been able to do that and just… didn’t?” Hongjoong says.

“Yeah,” Mingi rubs the back of his neck, “I could. I’m not technically allowed. You asked me to so I did. You’ve never asked me anything before.” 

Hongjoong hums. “I guess I didn’t expect an answer.” 

“It’s an odd system, I admit,” Mingi smiles sadly. “You could always talk to me but unless you asked me an actual question I couldn’t answer you. Not really. No one ever thinks the kids will actually ask anything.” Mingi sighs heavily and steps closer to the bed, thinking about sitting next to Hongjoong but thinking better of it. They look at each other, and Hongjoong seems to study the monster’s features. 

“How can you be a monster?” he asks Mingi, and the quiet overtakes them again. 

Neither react at first when the sound of Hongjoong’s name travels up the stairs. 

“I should go see what’s happening,” Hongjoong gestures to the door, wiping his nose and eyes again, and Mingi nods. 

“I’ll be here.” 

Hongjoong smiles at him before leaving, and Mingi sits heavily on the bed. Trying to wrap around his head around what just happened. He actually spoke to Hongjoong! The boy he was supposed to scare a little then move on to whatever came next. Mingi wasn’t even sure what came next, he expected good things, but what could be better than this? Maybe a mortal life… Mingi shakes the thought out, there’s no use hoping for impossible things. Honestly, he just wanted someone to tell him what to do now. 

Mingi knows he’ll know when it’s happening. When he’s about to move on he knows he’ll feel it coming. He was supposed to feel Hongjoong giving up his belief in him, but now he’s not sure what he’ll feel or if he’ll ever feel it. He isn’t sure why, but it crosses his mind that now Hongjoong isn’t scared of him, they’ll take that instead and he’ll have to leave anyway. 

He’s pulled from his thoughts as Hongjoong returns. 

“What happened?” Mingi asks, standing again, not feeling welcome enough to sit on the bed he lives under. 

Hongjoong shrugs, closing the door behind him. “Dad’s going to sleep at a motel tonight.” 

Instantly, Mingi is by his side, pulling him into a hug. He lets Hongjoong cry it out until he’s tired enough to sleep and he asks Mingi to stay with him. 

“Of course I will. Where else would I go?” 

In the night, Hongjoong holds Mingi’s hand and whispers to him. “I don’t want you to go, Mingi. I’ve never… felt alone. Sometimes it wasn’t in a good way, but now it will be. Don’t leave me?” 

Mingi wants to promise he won’t go, he wants to promise he’ll stay by his side forever, but he doesn’t. 

He feels himself fading already.


End file.
